Top 10 Things That NEED to Be Legalized

For some activities on this list, we’re going to be arguing for complete legalization. For others, like running red lights, we’re just looking for a little more understanding and logic-driven applications of the law. Red lights are important. Running a red is incredibly dangerous. Even late at night, when there are seemingly no cars around, if your line of sight is in any way obstructed, running the red should be out of the question. But when you run the light at an abandoned intersection, a ticket feels like a cash grab. Why not allow for a little logical wiggle room?

We accept the fact that the landmasses on Earth have already been divided up and claimed by the nations of the world. The airwaves though? We’re still willing to fight the government over that one. Across the globe, nations implement systems of control to regulate who can broadcast over radio waves. Admittedly in the United States, compared to some countries, the regulatory system is relatively relaxed. But in order to broadcast even locally and without profit, there are legal loopholes you need to jump through to avoid being labelled “Pirate Radio.” But if no one’s using the frequency, what’s the harm? If it’s not hate speech, let the pirates play!

News flash: people have sex, often out of wedlock, and usually with a number of different partners. So if two consenting adults agree to have sex involving financial compensation, who’s it hurting? In all honesty, often the sex worker, but not in some abstract moral sense: the life of a prostitute is dangerous not because of the profession, but because it’s illegal. Want to see the overlap between prostitution and drug use, STIs, organized crime, underage sex and violence against women get drastically reduced? Legalize prostitution and give these workers rights and regulations. Because if you film it, sell it, and call it “porn” it becomes legal anyways, and that double standard is too glaring to ignore.

Nipples are nipples. Despite the fact that, from the waist up, we all look remarkably similar, women are expected to keep their nipples under wraps, while men are free to go topless. What’s the difference? The curvature of a woman’s breasts compared to the chest of man seems like a rather arbitrary distinction. And if it’s because for many the female breast is an object of sexual desire, then it’s time to stop sexualizing them. If women decided that male hands were too sexy for display would they be forced to wear mittens? It’s pretty unlikely. So free the nipple!

We get why people can't just walk across the street whenever they feel like it. If individuals could just stroll into high speed traffic, chaos would ensue. Drawing on the same sentiment expressed in the “red light/abandoned intersection” entry, this is a case where we need the law to maintain order, but would prefer to see some logical legal exceptions for specific scenarios where the law no longer applies. If there aren’t any cars coming, laws against jaywalking shouldn’t be enforced.

Listen, we get it. Airport security is only going to get more strict, not less. But can’t someone with a half-finished bottle of water or soda dream? It just seems like in this age of fear and international terrorism, a bottle of liquid shouldn’t be a top priority for the TSA anymore. And yet, the 3-1-1 rule persists. That means you can carry liquids in 3.4 oz bottles in 1 quart sized clear ziploc bag, in 1 carryon bag. Cool. But also, can’t we just finish this open bottle of airport soda we spent $5 on?

As far as the Federal government is concerned, alcohol is not illegal for adults. So why does the Federal government allow smaller state and local governments to strip the rights of individuals and businesses to consume, serve and distribute alcohol? Don’t get us wrong, there’s no shortage of arguments against drinking, but at the end of the day it should be at the discretion of the individual. From a national perspective, prohibition failed, and yet there are currently hundreds of dry counties where the sale of alcohol is forbidden. Making people drive a long distance to get booze? Never a great idea.

Speaking of alcohol consumption in adults, let’s talk about what constitutes “adulthood”. Across the United States, the drinking age is 21, but around the world 18 is often considered to be adulthood (although the age can vary slightly). Whether it’s 18, 19, or 21, the age of adulthood should be consistent. If an 18-year-old is legally able to join the army and potentially die for their country without parental consent, then that should make them of legal age in the eyes of the government. So why aren’t they trusted to drink alcohol or gamble at that age too?

Once again, we see how the U.S. is a country divided when it comes to the legality of substances. While “states’ rights” are fundamental to the concept of the United States of America, ultimately, if the Federal government feels strongly enough on a subject, under the Supremacy Clause, they have the final say. Thankfully, the Federal government hasn’t squashed state-based legal marijuana laws, but short of legalization at the Federal level, marijuana users and distributors remain concerned. Considering how financially lucrative the industry has proven, as well as the burden it would remove from the prison system, why not just legalize the stuff nation-wide?

In America, the cost of health care has been unnecessarily inflated. Need proof? Just ask anyone living in a country with a socialized health care plan where, when something goes wrong, the size of their wallet doesn’t matter. Medicine doesn’t need to leave you penniless. In fact, you can get your medicine for a fair price outside of the United States. The problem is getting it across the border. According to the FDA, importing drugs for personal use is allowed, but only in three month quantities, and only if an equivalent treatment is not available in the United States. With pharmaceutical companies charging criminally high prices though, it might be time to change the import laws.